Sunday, April 30, 2006

Is This Guy NUTS?

If you’re an individual that’s not particularly religious and you just happen to stumble across this blog, it may appear somewhat weird. I understand this. There are so many cults and nut jobs in this day and age. How do we distinguish one quack from the next, and how do we know if someone is just an everyday Christian that believes in the Bible basics? It’s usually pretty obvious that a person is nuts if he or she speaks loudly of UFO’s, probing, and the Messiah within the same sentence, but unfortunately it’s not always that clear.

Even if people don’t seem to have a great interest in the Bible as a whole, it appears to me that most become very curious when they hear the contents of the book of Revelation mentioned. The statistics don’t lie—if you’re an American, two thirds of you believe that Christ will return to earth someday. Even if you don’t attend “church,” one third of you believe the same.1 And sixty percent of all Americans believe that the world will end.2 There must be something to it, and one shouldn’t be too quick to conclude that all end times beliefs are spoken by religious fanatics that have secret agendas to overtake Washington and force feed their religious beliefs to the masses, or that have plans to bomb abortion clinics.

My beliefs are simple. I believe the Bible is accurate, and, for the most part, speaks for itself. Many prophecies have already come true exactly as the prophets foretold, and because of this I think it would be unwise to ignore what they say is going to happen. Christ came just as they said He would, and He will come again just as they say He will. It’s that simple.

I believe all you have to do is read a few select passages within the Bible to know what Jesus says about His return and the end of the world. Once you know the basics you should be able to discern, at least on the major issues, if a certain religious person is putting forth fictitious rumors, or if they are simply reciting what the Bible has already said. You shouldn’t have to listen to anyone preach at a pulpit, or have to read anything by so called scholars or experts when it comes to the future of the world.

Here are a few passages that I consider to be Bible basics, to help you better know what the Scriptures say about the issue. I hope this motivates you to crack open a Bible and seek for more knowledge on the issue. And as always, feel free to ask anything you wish. I will try to give answers straight from the Bible so that you may judge for yourself—is this guy nuts?

1. “Update: A 1997 U.S. News & World Report Poll," Sign of the Times, August 1998, p 7
2. Jeffery L. Sheler, “The Christmas Covenant,” U.S. News & World Report, 12/19/1994, p 62

Matthew 24:4–31 (New International Version)

Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

So when you see standing in the holy place “the abomination that causes desolation,” spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!” or, “There He is!” do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, “There He is, out in the desert,” do not go out; or, “Here He is, in the inner rooms,” do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (Matt. 24:4–31).

2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (New International Version)

He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.

Revelation 21:1-4 (New International Version)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."


Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 Compared

There are other possibilities when comparing Matthew 24 with Revelation 6, but I believe the chart below represents the most probable scenario, and shows that the two chapters must be linked. The similarities are too great to write off, in my opinion.


Wednesday, April 19, 2006

The Position of the Early Church

Excerpt from “The Case for the Pre Wrath Rapture” by Kenneth W. Eckerty
_____________________________________________________

The testimony of the early church was that they would see antichrist and suffer persecution at his hands.

* Tertullian: "That the beast Antichrist with his false prophet may wage war on the Church of God....Since, then, the Scriptures both indicate the stages of the last times, and concentrate the harvest of the Christian hope in the very end of the world."

* Justin Martyr: "The man of apostasy...shall venture to do unlawful things on the earth against us, the Christians."

* The Pastor of Hermas: "Happy ye who endure the Great Tribulation that is coming."

* Iranaeus: "And the ten kings...shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight."

* Barnabas: "Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are called of God, we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the Kingdom of the Lord."

* Hippolytus: "Now concerning the tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon the Church from the adversary. That refers to the 1260 days during which the tyrant is to reign and persecute the Church."


Thursday, April 13, 2006

The Scroll




I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." (Rev. 5:1-5)

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Armageddon and More

On a forum a few weeks ago an individual asked a friend the following question:
________________________________________________________

“Why does pre-wrath teach that the bowls of God’s wrath take place for 30 days after the 70th Week (including Armageddon), and what is the 45 days you claim that follow the 30 days?”

Answer:

At Daniel 12:11-12, we see:
1. There will be 1290 days from the midpoint of the week; from the time that the abomination is set up. That is 30 days after the end of the 2nd half of the week, which is 1260 days.
2. v. 12, how happy is the one who reaches to the 1335 days. This is 45 days more after the 30 days.

Now: to correlate this with the book of Revelation. The prince who is to come (antichrist) breaks the covenant at the midpoint of the week, and places the abomination in the sanctuary. He begins his reign with 3 1/2 years left in the 70th week. Revelation tells us that his reign will be for 42 months.

Persecuted Israel (the woman of Rev. 12) is given protection in the wilderness for 1260 days.
The testimony of the 2 witnesses begins at the same time, for they are granted 1260 days to testify. The completed “official” reign of the beast brings us to the end of the 70th week; the end of the 3 1/2 years.

The completed testimony of the 2 witnesses brings us to the end of the week; the end of the 1260 days. Daniel is told that the end of these things that he has seen (the facts concerning the evil dictator) will be in 3 1/2 years; that is, in 1260 days. However, Dan. 12:11 tells us that the abomination will be in place for 1290 days; 30 days longer; or 30 days BEYOND the end of the week.

After the witnesses complete their testimony, 1260 days will have passed. That will be the end of the 70th week, and the end of the “official” reign of the antichrist.

After the 1260 days of the testimony by 2 witnesses, they are killed and lay in the street for 3 1/2 days. These days are AFTER the 1260, and are the first 4 days of the 30 days that follow the 1260 (the 1290). After the witnesses are removed from the earth, the 7th trumpet sounds which officially announces that the 70th week has come to an end; Ie, Christ has begun to reign.

BUT - the beast is still alive.
BUT - the abomination is still in the sanctuary.
AND - there are still the bowl judgments to be poured out.

That leaves only 26 1/2 days until the abomination will be removed. The bowl judgments take place during this time BECAUSE they follow the 7th trumpet. Armageddon is connected with the 6th and 7th bowl judgments. It is at Armageddon that the beast is destroyed and thrown in the lake. It would also be at this time that the abomination is removed.

Then the rest of humanity need to be evaluated and the unbelievers separated from the believers, so that the believers can go into the Messiah’s earthly kingdom. This evaluation takes place over the next 45 days. That is why it says, HAPPY are those who attain to the 1335 days. These are believers who remain alive and become the citizens of Messiah’s earthly kingdom, populating the various nations in which they live (Gentiles), and the Jews of course, in palestine. Is this a bit clearer?

In grace,
Ron
_________________________________________________________

You may read more of Ron’s veiws on prophecy here.


Tuesday, April 04, 2006

The Big Lie?











Thomas Ice is the executive director of the PreTrib Research Center in Washington D.C. The Research Center was founded a few years ago by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice to research, teach, proclaim, and defend pre-tribulationism. Look for a moment at what Thomas Ice has to say about the people who go against the pre-trib doctrine:
__________________________________________________________
The Big Lie
"One of the things that facilitated the Nazi rise to power in Germany earlier this century was their propaganda approach called "The Big Lie." If you told a big enough lie often enough, then the people would come to believe it. This the Nazis did well. This is what anti-pre-tribulationists like John Bray and Dave MacPherson have done over the last 25 years."
__________________________________________________________

I find it very ironic that this is what's being claimed. Isn't it the pre-trib doctrine that's been repeatedly proclaimed from the rooftops? Isn't it the pre-trib doctrine that's been accepted by many without question because of majority rule in evangelical Christendom? What does it take to motivate someone like Ice to say something this absurd? As a pre-tribber, are you encouraged to have Thomas Ice as one of your main advocates?